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Wall Street Journal Article Details Chinese Buying Frenzy Surrounding Peruvian Maca

(AUSTIN, Texas, Dec. 4, 2014) The Wall Street Journal, on Tuesday, December 2, published an article detailing the skyrocketing prices of Peruvian maca (Lepidium meyenii), the root of which is prized for its energy-boosting and sexual health effects.

The Latest Superfood? Peru's Maca Root

As authors Kris Maher and Robert Kozak report, the sudden price increase is due to an influx of Chinese buyers into the maca growing regions of central Peru, where it is protected by federal export regulations. Chinese buyers, however, are illegally purchasing and smuggling the fresh root out of the country, draining the global supply of Peruvian maca and destabilizing the market. Natural products companies are struggling to keep the herb in stock, leading to steep price jumps that already are affecting consumers around the world.